You're My Loveprize in the Mirror Universe
by J Unleashed
Summary: Takaba is still typical Takaba and Asami is still VERY much Asami; however, Asami is the photographer and Takaba is the crime lord in this revised version of the Viewfinder series.
1. Chapter 1

~With sincere apologies to Yamane-sensei (who owns the rights to the Finder series)... and also to Takaba-kun.

. . . . .

Acting on a tip, sexy photojournalist, Asami Ryuichi, takes a series of photographs of a corrupt politician taking a bribe from a night club manager. Asami doesn't care much for politicians and he particularly detests the corrupt kind.

. . . . .

A few days later, Kirishima Kei, Administrative Assistant extraordinaire, hands a file containing photos to businessman and crime lordling, 23-year-old Takaba Akihito. "Sir, the manager of Club Sion was caught bribing a government official in front of the club, and a photojournalist managed to get pictures of the transaction. Now we have cops sniffing all around the place."

"Wait... that dude did this at MY club? In FRONT of my club?!" Takaba rolls his eyes. "What an idiot. Honestly, I'm surrounded by nothing but idiots! What bonehead hired that manager?"

Kirishima hesitates momentarily, "You did, sir."

Takaba looks at Kirishima, surprised. "I did? Are you sure?"

Kirishima nods. "You said you wanted to take care of all the hiring yourself. I think you're overdoing it, sir. I wish you'd let me take on more duties."

Takaba considers this for a moment, "True... you were hired to be my administrative ass- thingy." Kirishima winces.

Takaba brightens, "Okay, then please take care of this business for me. You and Suoh go cut off some part of the body that the manager values. Like maybe... HIS HEAD!"

Kirishima enthusiastically turns to fellow lackey, Suoh Kazumi. "You heard what he said! Let's get to work."

Suoh frowns, "Can't we just shoot him? I hate getting my hands dirty."

Takaba is engrossed in looking at the photos in the file and is not paying attention. He waves them away, "Whatever."

Suoh takes out a gun and loads a clip into it. He and Kirishima exit the office. Takaba pulls a large photo out the file of Ryuichi Asami, age 35, looking damnsexy! He studies it and grins. "I bet you think you're a bad-ass for targeting my stuff, don't you? I'm gonna have to take you down a notch."

. . . . .

A few nights later in an alleyway, Kirishima and Suoh have caught and restrained photographer, Ryuichi Asami. "If this is about those photos, they never made it to publication. You're wasting your time... and mine, by coming after me."

Kirishima shrugs, "It's nothing personal. We get paid to follow orders."

"And the Boss ordered us to kick your ass," Suoh adds.

Asami thinks for a second. "I see. So, I could conceivably offer you money and you'd go kick his ass for me?"

Kirishima and Suoh both say together, "How much?"

Takaba steps out of the shadows and glares at his lackeys. "Idiots... " he mutters.

Takaba turns to Asami and smiles, "Well, well, well! Ryuichi Asami... we meet at last." He carefully studies Asami, who is dressed smartly in a suit and tie. "Aren't you a little overdressed for a photojournalist?"

Asami grins wryly, "I dress for success." He checks out Takaba's clothing, which consists of an old military jacket, t-shirt, jeans with holes in them and a worn-out pair of Nikes. "I'm going guess you're an utter failure."

Takaba rolls his eyes, "Hahaha! So witty." He eyes Asami, suspiciously, "So, I was just wondering... who let you in on that little transaction between my club manager and that crooked politician?"

"Nobody," Asami says matter-of-factly. "I just happened to be passing by. What fool arranges for a bribe to be taken out in the open?"

Takaba growls, "I'll ask you one more time... WHO tipped you off?!"

Asami gives Takaba an amused look, "Your mother."

Takaba turns red and nods to Kirishima who knees Asami HARD in the stomach. Asami bends over and lets out his breath, then stands back up and pats his stomach.

"Not too bad... " Asami suddenly twists around and kicks Kirishima's knee. Kirishima goes down and Asami breaks away from Suoh. He runs toward a door at the end of the alley and escapes through it.

"Well?!" Takaba looks at his men, expectantly, "What are you waiting for? Go after him!"

Kirishima is sitting on the ground, painfully rubbing his knee. "Don't want to." Takaba turns to Suoh, who just shrugs.

"I'll give you a 2% raise," Takaba offers to Suoh.

"5%", Suoh counters.

Kirishima struggles to stand. "No... he'll do it for 10%."

Suoh offers Kirishima a hand and pulls him up. "Yeah! And 10% for him, too," Suou crooks his thumb at Kirishima. "Or we don't budge."

Takaba glares at his two lackeys. "Fine! TEN PERCENT, you... you crooks! Now GO GET HIM!" Both Kirishima and Suoh run after Asami.

Meanwhile, Asami discovers the doorway he went through only led to the roof. Now he's cornered like a rat on the roof.

"HA! Now you're cornered like a rat on the roof!" Suoh gloats.

Asami gives the men a calculating look. "How much money are we talking for you to let me walk?"

Kirishima shakes his head. "We know who your boss is at the newspaper. He doesn't pay you that much."

Asami glances over the edge of the building. "I suppose there's no helping it, then." He suddenly hurdles over the rail.

Shocked, Takaba and his lackeys run to the rail and peer over the edge. Asami is quickly climbing down a fire escape.

"Wow... a fire escape," Kirishima exclaims. "I didn't think of that!"

Having reached the ground, Asami turns back around and winks at Takaba before vanishing into the shadows. Takaba is livid. "This isn't over yet... Asami!"

. . . . .

The next morning, Asami is at the police station speaking to Detective Yamazaki in the detective's office. Yamazaki is backing away from Asami while Asami bears down on him. "It's very strange how first you give me a tip that not only turns out to be entirely useless, but then causes some punk kid and his goons to come after me in retaliation for it. Don't you think that's very strange... Yamazaki?"

"N-n-now Asami..." Yamazaki is now backed into a corner and cannot retreat further.

"Not to mention, some grime got on my suit from climbing down the fire escape, " Asami glares at him. "I'll be sending you the dry cleaning bill."

Yamazaki nods energetically, "Y-yes, of course."

"Well? You better have a VERY good explanation for all of this!"

Yamazaki sighs and then indicates that Asami should take a seat. "That "punk kid and his goons" sounds like someone named 'Takaba'. He's a real bad apple... he's the leader of a large organization that specializes in smuggling guns and illegal drugs throughout all of Asia. You want to avoid him at all costs... he's considered VERY dangerous."

"You're joking... that KID an organized crime boss? Dangerous?!" Asami laughs, "I seriously doubt it!"

"Well... it's actually his father who is the big, scary leader. Takaba acquired his present position by using 'daddy's influence'."

"That's sounds more believable." Asami grins devilishly, "Actually, he's kind of cute. I'd LOVE the chance to bully him."

Yamazaki raises his eyebrows. "You know, Asami... sometimes you really scare me. Seriously though, don't go after him or else you might end up provoking 'daddy' and his gang instead." Yamazaki becomes lost in thought and mumbles to himself, "... and they might take you out..."

"What did you say?"

"Oh... nothing. By the way, I have another tip for you."

Asami cocks an eyebrow. "Does it have to do with Takaba again?"

Yamazaki laughs nervously. "Nooo... not at all!"

"What a pity... what do you have?"

"Some government officials- MARRIED government officials- are hosting a secret party tonight. I expect it will include all the usual unlawful and immoral things- drugs, prostitutes, and uh... a couple of sheep. Interested?"

"How many of them are high-profile?" Asami asks.

"Sources tell me at least two."

"Sheep, eh? That's not very original. Still, there's a good chance someone will pay for those pictures. I'll take it."

Yamazaki breathes a sigh of relief and scribbles on a piece of paper. He hands it to Asami. "It will at a warehouse down at the pier, at midnight. Here's the address."

. . . . .

Later that evening at Takaba's penthouse, a freshly-showered Takaba sits cross-legged on the sofa, dressed in striped shorts and a t-shirt with "Everybody Loves an Asian Boy" printed across the front of it. He is thinking about Asami and his spectacular escape from the henchmen's clutches; the witty way Asami insulted him, his rather athletic descent down the fire escape... and then winking at him before disappearing into the night. "NOBODY makes a fool out of me. Especially you, Asami! Just you wait... "

. . . . .

At exactly midnight, sexy photojournalist, Asami Ryuichi, prepares to take some incriminating photos of corrupt politicians, because... well, he really hates politicians. He focuses his telephoto lens on a lone figure standing on the wharf, and through his viewfinder he sees Takaba gazing back at him, looking rather smug.

"I see... so, it IS Takaba after all. This is going to be fun... " which is the last thought that goes through Asami's mind before Suoh grabs him from behind and knocks him out.

Suoh places Asami into Takaba's limo. Takaba stares at the unconscious Asami with a sense of foreboding. "Why does he have a smile on his face?"

Suoh is also staring at Asami. "I know... spooky, isn't it?"

. . . . .

When Asami comes to, he discovers he has been restrained by a rope with a series of weird knots tied haphazardly here and there. He sees Takaba standing over him, smirking. Beside Takaba is a large, black leather case.

"I see you're finally awake, Asami. Prepared to be TORTURED and HUMILIATED!"

"And how do you propose to do that?" Asami asks.

Takaba picks up the bag and shakes it. "I have in this bag, all kinds of interesting devices. Sexual ones! The mere SIGHT of them will strike terror in your heart!"

Asami eyes glitter with amusement. " 'Sexual ones'? Shouldn't you have undressed me before tying me up?"

Takaba smacks his forehead with his hand. "OH! I forgot to undress you! Well... I DID take take off your coat and tie."

Asami shakes his head. "You really don't have a clue what you're doing, do you?"

Takaba smirks, "What makes you say that... O prisoner of mine?"

"To begin with, you don't know how to properly tie a knot." Asami stands up and the rope falls off of him. "Here, let me show you... "

A minute later, Takaba is spread-eagle and naked on a table, expertly bound with the rope using a series of very intricate-looking knots. Takaba is shaking with rage. "This is NOT supposed to happen this way! C'mon... let me go!"

Asami ignores Takaba's demands and opens the black bag. "What do you have in here?" He holds up a large, black vibrator and grins. "You're such a naughty boy!"

Takaba blushes. "That's not mine!"

Asami rummages through the bag, "Hmm... there's A LOT of different vibrators in here. Let's see... cock ring, string of beads, nipple clamps... " pulls out a clear hose, "is this a urinary catheter? Oh my... do your subordinates know you're into this kind of thing?"

"I'm not into ANYTHING AT ALL! None of it has ever been used! I got that stuff to torture and humiliate YOU!"

"Never been used, eh? It would be a shame not try it all out first... to make sure everything works."

Five minutes later, the entire contents of the bag have been placed, inserted, buckled, clamped or glued (don't ask) onto Takaba. Asami stands back to admire his handiwork. "Aren't you a sight?" he sighs.

He picks up his camera and begins shooting pictures. "This one is going to be the wallpaper for my computer," He moves to a different angle, "and this one I think should be the screensaver for my phone." He aims the camera between Takaba's legs in a way that will also includes Takaba's face. "THIS ONE I'm making into a poster... to hang above to my bed..."

. . . . .

Three days later, Asami returns to the pier to retrieve the rest of his camera equipment and spots Yamazaki speaking with some rough-looking men.

They finish talking and the rough-looking men leave. Asami approaches Yamazaki. "Yamazaki. What are you doing here?"

"ASAMI!" Yamazaki is startled by Asami's sudden appearance. "I-I'm glad to see you're all right! You've been missing for three days. I was beginning to get worried."

"I bet you're even MORE worried now that you see I'm still alive. I know you set me up, Yamazaki."

Yamazaki pulls out a gun and aims it shakily at Asami. "I should have known Takaba couldn't handle you. I guess I'll have to take you out myself... "

Suddenly, Takaba appears from out of nowhere and jumps in front of Asami. He aims a gun at Yamazaki, holding it sideways. "So... YOU'RE to blame for my humiliation!" He fires the gun three times at Yamazaki.

All three shots miss.

Yamazaki impulsively glances down at his body to confirm he wasn't hit. Asami quickly snatches the gun from Takaba, firing it once at Yamazaki. Yamazaki drops his gun and falls to his knees, holding his hand in pain. Takaba stares at Asami with amazement.

Asami explains, "You missed because you were holding the gun, 'gangster-style'. It may look cool, but you end up sacrificing accuracy." He places the gun in Takaba's hands and then tries to adjust Takaba's grip on it properly. "You need to aim it with the barrel up so you can line up the rear sight with the front sight, aligning both the horizontal and vertical... "

Takaba angrily shakes Asami off, "I know how to shoot a gun!"

. . . . .

Takaba sits on a seawall gazing at the rising sun, a single tear rolling down his cheek. Detective Yamazaki is sitting in the back of a police car. Asami finishes giving his statement to the police and walks toward Takaba.

"You were right. I'm an utter failure," Takaba says, dejectedly.

"You're not a failure. Because of you, the gang that was trying to take down your father's organization is no longer a threat." Asami sits down next to Takaba. "And besides... you're really cute, and having sex with you was incredibly..."

"GAAAH!" Takaba interrupts. "Don't say it! And don't call me 'cute' either. I'm not cute!"

"I also think you're dangerous. VERY dangerous."

Takaba looks up at Asami. "You really think so?"

"Oh, yes. And I'll keep watching you through my viewfinder, " Asami ruffles Takaba's hair affectionately, "until one day I can outwit this VERY... cunning... villain."

Takaba glares at Asami. "You're patronizing me, aren't you?"

Asami smirks, "You're a lot smarter than you look."

. . . . .

********************************************************************************  
Next: Chapter 2- Takaba pays Asami a visit


	2. Chapter 2

~With sincere apologies to Yamane-sensei (who owns the rights to the Finder series)... and also to Takaba-kun.

. . . . .

Businessman and crime lordling, Akihito Takaba, is riding in his limo and staring wistfully out the window. "I wish I was going to beach today instead of some stuffy old office," he sighs. "My life is so boring, lately."

He is jolted out of his daydreaming by Kirishima suddenly slamming on the brakes, followed by the sound of a dull _THUMP!_ Takaba looks toward the front of the car and sees something large roll off the hood. "Did you just hit someone?!"

Kirishima is pale. "He just ran out right in front of the car...!"

"Oh, MAN...!" Takaba quickly gets out of the car hoping what he is about to see won't be too gross. A man dressed in a business suit is trying to stand up. "Are you all right?" Takaba asks the man, nervously. "Maybe you shouldn't move..." The man looks up and Takaba is greeted by two familiar-looking, piercing eyes. "ASAMI!"

Asami smirks at him, "Why, thank you! It's so kind of you to offer me a ride." He darts past Takaba and slips into the limo.

Takaba is too bewildered to remember that his car just hit the man. "What the hell? Get OUT of my limo, you... you...!

Asami points to something behind Takaba. He turns around and sees two very scary-looking big men rushing toward them. Takaba jumps into the limo and screams, "DRIVE!" before even shutting the door. The limo peels off.

Takaba glares at Asami. "You've got some nerve! I'm not your personal taxi service, you know."

Asami takes a camera out of the case he was carrying and toys with it. "Where I need to go is not out of your way. It's just around the corner from your office."

"What the hell was THAT about anyway?"

Asami looks at the screen on his camera and smirks. "Good. You can see his face clearly in all the pictures."

Annoyed, Takaba kicks Asami's foot, "Hey, you! You're not even listening to me!"

Asami looks up. "What?"

"Why were those men chasing you?"

Asami glances out the rear window, "That? They're unhappy about the pictures I took of a Diet member out on a very intimate date with his girlfriend. I can't imagine why. The pictures came out quite nice."

"Maybe because you were stalking him and invading his privacy? That's just creepy, you know. What do you plan to do with the photos? Add them to your perverted photo collection?" Takaba replies, sarcastically.

"Not exactly." Asami looks at Takaba shrewdly, "Since the wife is paying me to take pictures of her cheating husband, I'll likely give her all the copies."

"Oh... I see," replies Takaba in a small voice. "I guess that makes it... kind of okay."

"Besides, you are the leading star of my perverted collection." Asami leers at Takaba, "I particularly like the picture where you're on your hands and knees looking at the camera with a pleading look on your face. I call it: 'Please Spank Me!' "

Asami quickly lifts up his camera, snaps a picture of Takaba, and then looks down at the screen. "Ah... 'Takaba, Enraged'." He looks up at Takaba, deviously, "You know I have YET to get a picture of you smiling. Why do you suppose that is?"

"STOP THE CAR!" Takaba yells to Kirishima. The car comes to a sudden halt. Takaba turns to Asami, "Get out!"

Asami opens the door and steps out. He leans down, looks Takaba straight in the eyes and smiles softly, "It was good to see you once again... Akihito."

Takaba angrily grabs the handle and slams door. "Drive!" he yells at Kirishima.

"Arrogant bastard," Takaba fumes. He looks down and notices a wallet on the floor of the limo. He picks it up and looks inside. It contains Asami's driver's license and about 2000 yen. "Hahaha..." he gloats. "SOMEBODY lost their wallet!"

. . . . .

Late that night, Takaba is staring contemplatively at the wallet on his desk. "2000 yen, huh? You don't seem to have a whole lot of money, Asami. I bet you have scrounge for every crumb you can get." He picks up the wallet and tosses it in the air. "I might have returned it to you if you hadn't done all those awful things to me." Takaba catches the wallet and runs his fingers across the soft, smooth surface. "Too bad... this has the feel of a quality wallet, too." He brings the wallet up to his face and inhales the scent. It smells like a mixture of leather and smoke. "Ahhh... just the kind of smell I'd expect from you." He looks up and sees Kirishima standing in front of him, with an odd look on his face.

"GAH!" Takaba drops the wallet. "Don't sneak up on me like that! What do you want?!"

"Uh... it's nearly 2 am, sir. Are you ready to leave?"

"Is it that late already?" He yawns, "Yeah, I'm ready." Takaba picks the wallet up from the floor and hands it to Kirishima. "After you drop me off, I need you to return this wallet to its owner. The address is on the driver's license."

Kirishima opens the wallet and studies the card. "This is WAY outside the city. Hold on... this the same maniac that ran out in front of the car this morning!" He closes the wallet and hands it back to Takaba. "Forget it. Just toss the wallet and be done with it."

"What if he really needs the money?"

"He kicked me in the knee a couple of weeks ago. I don't feel particularly obliged to do him any favors"

"I don't know... maybe we should do the right thing and return the wallet to him anyway."

"Sir, I strongly advise you to avoid any contact with that man... but if you choose to ignore my advice, then I'll have nothing to do with this. Get Suoh to do what you want." Kirishima points to the large man snoring on the office couch. "I'm not quite sure what he does all day anyway, besides snooze on that couch."

"Well, along with being one of my bodyguards, he..." Takaba looks puzzled. "You know, I'm not sure what Suoh does all day either."

Kirishima walks over to the couch and kicks it. "Huh, wha...?" Suoh snorts, groggily.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty! You're driving the Boss."

"Oh, is it that time already?" Suoh perks up. "Wow! The time just flew by today, didn't it?"

Kirishima glares at Suoh before grabbing his briefcase and walking out the door.

Confused, Suoh turns to Takaba. "Is it just me, or does it seem like Kirishima is in a bad mood?"

. . . . .

The rain is pouring down when they arrive at the address on the ID card. Takaba looks anxiously out the window. "This is IT? It looks so... small." He tries to hand the wallet to Suoh. "Okay, take this up to... "

Suoh quickly interrupts, "I don't think he'll appreciate one of the guys who tried beating him up suddenly appearing on his doorstep at 3 am in the morning, sir."

Takaba huffs, "Fine! I'll take care of it. But if I'm not back in 60 seconds... COME GET ME!"

Takaba steps out into the pouring rain and quickly runs up to the door with the nameplate "Asami" beside it. "Maybe I can somehow wedge the wallet in the door, ring the bell, and then run back to the car before he... "

The door suddenly opens. "Come in, Takaba."

Asami is standing there dressed in nothing but pair of lounge pants; his usually gelled hair is loose and shaggy. Takaba is surprised at the different look. _He doesn't look quite so intimidating like this_, Takaba thinks.

He takes a deep breath, puts on an air of toughness and steps just inside the doorway. "I'm not here to visit. I just thought you might be missing this," Takaba holds up the wallet.

Asami crosses his arms. "The rain is getting in. Do you mind stepping in a bit further?"

Takaba narrows his eyes at Asami. "Look, just take your wallet and I'll be on my way."

"Are you afraid of me?" Asami raises his eyebrows and smirks.

"Who... who would be?!" Takaba answers, angrily. He steps all the way in and Asami shuts the door.

He takes the wallet from Takaba and carelessly tosses it on a nearby table, then walks to the kitchen. "Is tea fine or would you like something stronger?"

"I... I'm not staying."

Asami reappears. "I promise I won't bite." He throws a towel at Takaba. "You're dripping on the floor."

"Oh, sorry."

_Suoh should be coming up any minute now_, Takaba thinks. _In the meantime, I wouldn't mind taking a good look around... it might give me insight on what kind of man Asami really is._

"Tea, please." He slips off his shoes and begins drying himself off. Asami turns to walk back to the kitchen but not before Takaba notices a dark shadow on Asami's side. "Nice looking bruise!"

"What do you expect?" comes a voice from the kitchen. "You hit me with your limo."

"You're the one who ran out in front of it!" He walks into the kitchen and sees Asami pouring the tea. Deciding to be purposely annoying, Takaba opens the refrigerator and peers in. He sees a few of bottles of wine but very little food. "Have you ever thought of spending your money on food instead of expensive wine?"

Asami closes the refrigerator door and hands Takaba a cup. "Because of the nature of my work, I mostly eat out." He takes a step toward Takaba but Takaba quickly turns away and begins to walk through the rest of the apartment.

He sees a door and opens it. There is a small collection of suits inside. "Whoa! I bet if you spent less on clothes and that pricey-looking wallet, you could probably afford a better place."

Asami gives Takaba an amused look. "I like nice things." He again steps toward Takaba but Takaba skips out of the way. He finds himself at the entrance to a small bedroom._  
_

He glances around and notices photographic prints scattered on a small desk. He puts his cup down and picks one up. "Ohhh... Shirahama Beach! I was just thinking about this place today. Did you take this?" He angles the picture a bit. "Everyone takes the same shot of this rock formation. You should climb up here... " he points to a place on the photo, "And shoot down toward the ocean."

Asami takes the picture from Takaba and studies it. "That's not a bad idea. You have a good eye for photography."

The unexpected praise warms Takaba, but he tries to nonchalantly brush it off. "Well my friends think I take good photos, so you're probably right."

Asami hands him another picture. "What do you think of the angle on this one?"

Takaba holds up the picture and gasps. It is a photo of him from his last encounter with Asami. He quickly tears it up.

Asami lifts an eyebrow, "That bad? You're right... I should reshoot it."

Takaba bolts towards the door. "I'm leaving now!"

Asami grabs him, "So soon? After the gamble I took to get you here, the least you can do is to pose for me."

Takaba's eyes widen, "You left your wallet in my limo on purpose! I should have known. I can't believe I was so STUPID to try to return it to you!"

Takaba feels a warm hand slip under his shirt and soft lips brush up against his mouth, "It's because you're a nice kid. Didn't I tell you I like nice things?" Asami pushes Takaba down onto the bed.

. . . . .

A little while later, Takaba staggers back to the limo. He gets in and slams the door causing Suoh to jump. "WHERE the hell were you?! You fell asleep, didn't you?" He grumbles, "Some bodyguard YOU are!" He takes a closer look at Suoh and notices water dripping from his hair. "Why are you wet?"

"I went to check on you when it seemed like you were taking too long but... " Suoh has a guilty look on his face.

Takaba turns red. "Did... did you see Asami and me...?" Takaba hears a soft mewing sound. He leans forward and sees a wet kitten poke its head out from beneath Suoh's suit. "Don't tell me... you went chasing down a kitten?!"

"Well... of course!" Suoh gently pats the kitten on the head. "Unlike you, sir, the kitten is helpless."

. . . . .

********************************************************************************  
Next: Chapter 3- Takaba gives Asami a call... or two... or three...


	3. Chapter 3

~With sincere apologies to Yamane-sensei, who owns the rights to the Finder series... and to also Asami-sama.

. . . . .

One evening at around 9:30, businessman and part-time crime lord, Takaba Akihito leaves his office for the day. His assistant, Kirishima Kei, hands a folder to Takaba as he enters his limo. "Here's the report you asked for on Asami's movements."

Takaba settles into his seat and reads as Kirishima starts driving, "Let's see... yesterday, left his place at 7 am... had breakfast at the café around the corner from where he lives... arrived at Sunflower Daycare at 8 am... "

Takaba nearly drops the folder. "REALLY? A daycare center? Why would Asami need to go there?!"

"It seems Asami took on a temporary job of photographing the children for a brochure for the daycare center," Kirishima replies. "He stayed there until 5 pm."

"I can't picture him hanging out with a bunch of little kids all day," Takaba chuckles. "HA! I wonder who bullied who?" He reads on, "At 6 pm, he met up with District Attorney, Kuroda Shinji. Hmm... now that's interesting."

"They appear to be long-time acquaintances," Kirishima adds. "Asami has been hired to take surveillance photos of a city official suspected of being involved in criminal activities. He's been on a stake-out since 9 pm last night; however, in the past 24 hours the councilman has suspiciously been on his best behavior so they've called off the surveillance. Asami should be on his way back home right now, but they'll have him "on-call" in case the councilman tries to meet with questionable people again."

"He's seems to be a regular person, trying to earn a regular paycheck. I sure would like to know more about his connection with the DA," Takaba frowns, "but as long as Asami is not bothering me, I don't see a reason to keep watching him."

"Yes, sir." Kirishima drives for a bit before speaking again. "36 hours without sleep... it seems he's had a rough time of it lately."

Surprised, Takaba leans forward to look over the seat at Kirishima, "When did you start feeling sorry for him? As I recall, you REALLY don't like him."

"I don't! I think eventually he's going to be a problem for us, but I have to admit I am beginning to admire him a bit. He's a hard-working, clever man."

Takaba sits back and pulls a can of beer out of the limo's refrigerator. "He's not as clever as you think."

"He has to be exhausted by now. I imagine he'll sleep for a long time so you shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"Who said I was worried?!" Takaba replies, annoyed. He pops the top on the can and takes a drink. "On-call, huh? Well, I hope his phone rings as soon as his head hits the pillow!"

. . . . .

Takaba arrives at small restaurant and joins several of his friends who are having a private party. Takaba is already drunk. His friend, Koh, is slightly drunker. Another friend, Takato, is only slightly buzzed and still capable of rational thought, but is doing his best to catch up to his two friends.

Takaba takes another gulp from his mug of beer, "So THEN, my assistant starts complaining 'I've already worked 16 hours today. Are you really going to ask me to wait for you while you go drinking?', which is kind of strange because not too long ago he was complaining about NOT having enough to do. I mean, make up your mind already!" Takaba takes another drink. "Sooo anyway... I thought I would be nice and let him go home for the night and THAT'S why I need to crash at your place, Koh."

"Ha! It sounds like your assistant just likes to complain," Koh laughs and reaches for his mug. "Sure... you are always welcome at my place."

"He used to work for my father, you know. I wonder if he complained that much then, too?"

"What does your father do again?" Takato asks him.

"Oh, he imports... stuff." Takaba replies, cautiously.

Takato looks at him, thoughtfully. "What kind of 'stuff'?"

"Oh... you know, stuff like... " Takaba looks around, "like those decorations over there!"

Takato looks at the wall. "Those are Japanese decorations."

"Yeah, but they're all made in Taiwan!" Takaba smirks.

Koh notices Takaba's phone on the table and picks it up. "Ooh! The new iPhone! Can I play with it?"

Takaba shrugs, "Sure, if you can guess the passcode."

Koh squints at the phone and begins tapping on it, "Let's see... 1234... no... your penthouse number... 2110... not it... your birthday maybe? 5 May and the year was... nope. Crap!"

Takaba wags his finger at Koh. "One more miss and you'll lock it up."

Takato downs the last of his drink. "Try 8055."

Koh taps the phone. "Ah... THAT worked!"

Takaba looks at Takato, suspiciously, "Heyyy... how do you know my passcode?"

"8055 looks like the word, 'BOSS'," Takato grins. "You seem to like it when your assistant calls you that."

"A rich boy like our Takaba has gotta have SO many girlfriends waiting in line for him... I'm gonna steal one!" Koh taps on the screen. "I'll take the first one on the list."

Takato nudges Takaba. "He's actually calling somebody."

Takaba takes another drink from his mug. "Let him. He'll be flirting with my grandmother."

"Hello there! This is Koh. Am I speaking to Asami-chan?"

Takaba chokes. He grabs the phone and squeaks in a high voice, "Sorry! Wrong number!" and then hangs up.

Koh looks at Takaba, surprised. "Wow, Asami-chan has a very hoarse voice! She must have a terrible cold."

"You idiot!" Takaba smacks Koh on the arm. "You could've gotten me into SO MUCH trouble! That was a BAD person to mess with! Seriously evil!"

"And you have an evil person on your contacts list because... ?" Takato asks.

"Because," he looks at Takato shifty-eyed and lowers his voice, "... you never know... "

Takato stares at him, baffled, "You never know... ?!"

"And now you're in trouble because of me!" Koh says remorsefully. "I'm pretty sure I woke them up. Whoever that was sounded REALLY tired!"

"Ohh?" Takaba gets a devious glint in his eyes, "Did they now... ?"

. . . . .

Asami Ryuichi stirs in his bed at the sound of a phone ringing. He opens his eyes and realizes the phone is already resting in his hand.

He presses the talk button and puts the phone to his ear, "Yes?" He shakes his head, trying to come awake. "What is it?"

He hears Takaba, trying not to sound like Takaba. _"Hello, is this Asami Ryuichi?" _

Asami sighs sleepily, "Yes."

_"This is See Maanki." _

Asami blinks in confusion, "Sea monkey?" He glances at the clock and notices he's been asleep for 7 minutes since the phone last rang. "What do you want, Takaba?"

_"No, no, no! Who is Takaba? I already told you, this is SEE MAANKI." _

Asami closes his eyes. "You do realize your name comes up on the caller ID, don't you... Takaba?"

There is an awkward silence. All Asami can hear is the background sounds of some public place.

_Click _

The caller hangs up.

. . . . .

Takaba bangs his head repeatedly on the table. "NOOOO! I forgot about the caller ID! Whose great idea was THAT?"

"Hashimoto Kazuo," answers Takato. "He invented the caller ID... thing." Both Takaba and Koh gape at him. Takato looks back at them blankly, "What?"

"You wanna block the caller ID?" Koh puts his arm around Takaba and smiles, "I know way to do that."

Takaba enthusiastically nods his head.

Takato looks pained. "Don't encourage this."

. . . . .

Ten minutes later, Asami's phone rings. The small screen on the phone reads, "Caller ID: Unavailable"

Asami presses the talk button and then closes his eyes again. "Asami, speaking."

_"This is Kuroda... I apologize for waking you up. We just received word from our informant that the councilman is going to attempt to meet up with that Yakuza group again sometime in the next few hours. Right now, we are waiting to hear back for the time and place. Once we get that information, I'll call you and let you know where to meet us."_

Asami stifles a yawn. "That's fine with me."

_"I'm really sorry about this, Ryuichi. I know you've been up for the past 36 hours. In the meantime, try to get some sleep."_

. . . . .

Fifteen minutes later, the phone rings again. Asami looks at the screen, Caller ID: Unavailable.

Asami presses the talk button. "Asami, speaking."

A low raspy voice comes from the phone. _"This is Yuu Saak, your boss. You overslept and missed work so... YOU'RE FIRED!"_

Asami frowns, and hangs up. Five minutes later the phone rings. Caller ID: Unavailable.

Asami eyes the phone suspiciously before answering. "Asami, speaking."

_"This is Aap Yors, your landlord. You owe me money. LOTS of money! And you play your music too loud..." _

Asami hangs up. Three minutes later, the phone rings.

_"This is Penguin Paradise. We regret to inform you that the penguin you ordered..."_

Asami hangs up. The phone rings in his hand.

. . . . .

After nearly 20 more calls requiring Asami to hit the "end call" button as soon as he hears Takaba's voice, the calls finally cease. Now fully awake, Asami gets up and takes a shower. Partway through his shower the phone rings. He turns off the water, quickly grabs a towel and picks up the phone. "Asami, speaking."

_"This is Dr. Quack, your uh... doctor. Congratulations! You're 152 weeks pregnant!" _

"That is ENOUGH, Takaba," Asami replies, irritated. "I'm waiting for a very important phone call."

_"Oh yeah? Well, isn't that... TOO BAD! This is payback for all those terrible things you did to me! How do you like it so far? Huh? Are you getting any sleep?"_

Feeling a headache coming on, Asami pinches his eyes shut. "I see... so serial crank-calling me is your way of getting revenge. Isn't that a little immature, even for you?"

_"All I want... ALL I want... uh... what did I want... ?" _

Asami prompts him impatiently, "Yes?"

_"Don't hang up on me anymore."_ The voice hitches and begins to sound teary, _"I really, really don't like it when you hang up on me!"_

Asami replies gently, "All right, I won't hang... "

_"MUWHAHAHAHAHA!" _

_Click_

. . . . .

Asami is fully dressed and trying to read the newspaper, but can't concentrate. He lowers the paper, leans back and closes his eyes, and drifts off to sleep. The phone rings, jarring Asami awake. He presses the talk button.

_ "Because__ I'm BAAAD, I'm bad... YOU KNOW IT... "_ sings a high voice, slightly off-key.

"WHERE are you calling from, you little piss-ant?!" Asami growls into the phone.

Takaba briefly imitates Asami's deep growl, _" 'Where you are calling from?' Hahaha! I'm not so much of an idiot to tell you THAT! But I will give you a hint: I'm... SOMEWHERE IN TOKYO! Come and find me, if you can... HAHAHAHA!"_

_ Click _

The doorbell rings.

Wearily, Asami goes to the door and opens it. He sees Kuroda standing there. Kuroda grins at him, "Oh you're good, you're up!"

He steps inside. "I came by to let you know that our informant suddenly stopped cooperating with us, so the investigation is on hold for now." He hands Asami an envelope. "Anyway, here's a check to compensate you for the work you did do for us. I'm sorry, it's not much. They've really been brutal with the budget cuts; however, I am indebted to you. If there's ANYTHING I can do for you... "

The phone rings.

Asami glares at it. "Can you trace the location of that caller for me?"

Kuroda nods and smiles. "I can do that."

. . . . .

Takaba wakes up in his bed. His head is throbbing and his ears are ringing. The ringing sound seems to get louder. He realizes it is his phone and it is already in his hand. He looks at the phone, Caller ID: Unavailable.

Takaba swipes the screen with his thumb, "Hel-... hello?" he answers groggily.

_"Hello Sea Monkey... this is Asami. Are you getting any sleep?"_

"Ehhh?" he answers, confused. The memories of the night before come flooding back to him. He laughs even though it hurts his head. "Hahaha... good one, Asami!" Takaba moans, "Ohhh... I was really drunk last night. Serves you right, though. Did you ever manage to get any sleep?"

"None, whatsoever," comes a voice from inside his room.

Takaba looks up and sees Asami standing at the entrance to his bedroom, holding a cell phone to his ear. He hears a beep as Asami presses a button to end the call. Takaba tries to get up but discovers his legs and left arm are somehow restrained. He also realizes he is naked.

Asami walks over to the bed and grabs Takaba's right wrist. He removes the phone from Takaba's hand before clicking the wrist into a handcuff connected to a rope tied to the bed. Asami slips off his tie and begins to unbutton his shirt while glaring at Takaba, threateningly.

Takaba stammers nervously, "W-wait, Asami... let's try to be mature about this... "

Asami falls onto the bed next to Takaba. He stretches out on the bed, and then closes his eyes and smiles, "The more sleep I get, the less harsh your punishment will be when I wake up."

Takaba breathes a sigh of relief and begins to think of a way to escape once Asami falls asleep, but is distracted by a sudden spasm in his bladder.

"Umm... Asami?" he whispers. He is answered by a soft snore.

Takaba takes a deep breath. "Yeah... I can hold it."

. . . . .

********************************************************************************  
_How long do you think Asami slept before Takaba was forced to wake him up? ;)_

Next: Chapter 4- Takaba disappears; Asami gets a surprise visit from two, VERY unhappy, bodyguards.


	4. Chapter 4

~With sincere apologies to Yamane-sensei (who owns the rights to the Finder series)... and also to all those who are killed for merely being the messenger.

. . . . .

The waiters make their way through a crowd of The Elite; formally dressed for the occasion, yet subtly flaunting their riches in any way possible... a large emerald ring here, a diamond cufflink there. All the women sport precious stones in some way, the men wear gold chains and expensive watches. Even one of the champagne servers is wearing an expensive-looking watch.

This particular waiter meanders through the chandelier-lit reception room. Unlike the other servers in the room who flit from one group to another offering crystal flutes of champagne, this one has guests approaching him... mostly women.

From across the room, a younger man stands fidgeting uncomfortably. He is in a bad mood for three reasons; the least of all is because of the tux he was forced to wear. He had wanted to wear something a little more flashy and less heavy, but he had been unwillingly dressed in a boring, standard tux. His request for "no tails" on the suit, as he felt they emphasized his short stature, had been ignored.

The second reason for his bad mood was because he had been forced to attend this boring fund-raiser for a local politician. The invitation had actually been for his father, but of course his father didn't want to go either, so he sent his son as his replacement. Now he was surrounded by people looking for favors from his father. It was easy enough to pretend to listen, nod, and accept their business cards, "Yes, I will have my father's people get back to you on this..." but it was really tedious. He really couldn't blame his father THAT MUCH for wanting to avoid it.

The third, and main reason for his bad mood was standing in the middle of the room flocked by a group of older women, who were taking glasses from an offered tray and demurely batting their eyes at the handsome man in the waiter's uniform. The waiter briefly glances his way and gives him a mocking smile.

Takaba bristles at the glance, "Asami!" Takaba decides to become suddenly unwell so he has an excuse to make an early exit. He approaches the politician who is hosting the affair. To his surprise, the man looks up and interrupts his conversation with a local businessman.

"Takaba-san!" the politician calls out enthusiastically. He bows, "I am honored that is it you who is attending this function in your father's place. I have heard that you recently acquired a rather nice little beach hotel..." Delighted that the politician seems more interested in one of his own pet projects rather than his father, Takaba quickly forgets that he was about to make the necessary excuses for leaving, and eagerly begins to tell the man about his plans for the new resort.

Within a few minutes though, he realizes he has somehow lost control of the conversation. Before he knows it, the man is shaking his hand and saying to him, "I am pleased you will see to it that your father will personally attend to this very important matter for me."

"Yes... of course," Takaba replies, with the vague idea that he has just been used. The politician moves on to make pleasantries with yet another young businessman.

"I find it amusing how easily you are manipulated... Takaba." Takaba whips around and finds himself facing Asami. Asami extends a tray toward him, "Champagne?"

"What are you doing here?!"

Asami tugs on his sleeve, revealing a hidden camera. "I'm getting a few snapshots of our esteemed host in action."

Takaba sucks in his breath. "I could have you thrown out for that! They'll also confiscate your precious camera, too."

"It would be a pain to lose my camera. You know all those nice pictures I took of you? They're still on the card."

Takaba rolls his eyes. "That threat is getting old. You're bluffing."

"Am I? Here, let me show you." Asami shifts his hold on the tray so he can unbutton his sleeve.

"NO! Keep that damn thing hidden!" Takaba hisses. He lets out a sigh, "I guess I can't begrudge you for trying to make a living. Just don't take any pictures of me."

"I've already taken twenty. You look... " Asami quickly glances at Takaba from head to toe, "interesting in a tux. You might want to forgo the tails next time. They make you look shorter."

Takaba audibly growls, causing Asami to chuckle. Takaba gives Asami a taunting look. "I think you look... " he looks Asami up and down, "interesting in a waiter's uniform. You might want to forgo the apron next time. It makes you look like a house servant," Takaba frowns, "... except for that watch. Is that a Rolex? What is that, about a year's worth of rent money for you? You must be in deep debt."

Asami narrows his eyes at Takaba. "Don't pretend to be naive with me, Akihito. By now, you've figured out I must have another source of income. Why don't you come right out and ask me what it is you really want to know?"

"REALLY?" Takaba responds, genuinely surprised. "I wouldn't know where to start! Okay, first question: Why are you..."

"ASAMI!" The hotel manager steps in between Takaba and Asami. "I don't pay you to chat with the guests. If you are that idle, then you can go take out the trash in the kitchen!"

Takaba smirks as the manager leads Asami away.

"Ah, DAMN IT!" Takaba stamps his foot. "And just when I was about to get some answers!"

. . . . .

The next evening, Asami is studying some photographs when he hears his doorbell ring. Looking through the peephole, he recognizes Takaba's glasses guy standing in front of his door. "Could be worse," he mumbles. When he opens the door, Suoh suddenly appears. He enters Asami's place and roughly pushes Asami up against the nearest wall. Kirishima then enters and walks past Asami. He glances into the kitchen and then walks back toward the bedroom.

Asami frowns, "Please, come in."

Kirishima reappears. "He's not here."

"You were expecting to find Takaba here? You must know something I don't know," Asami says, giving them a sly smile.

"Where is he?!" Kirishima growls.

Asami frowns, "You truly don't know?" He glares angrily at Suoh, who is holding him against the wall with one hand. "Do you mind?" Kirishima nods and Suoh releases Asami. "How long has he been missing?"

"Since 9 o'clock this morning. That was the last time anyone was in contact with him." Kirishima narrows his eyes at Asami, "You know something."

Asami nods. "There was a man waiting outside at last night's political fundraiser. He was attempting to pass on an envelope containing a computer disk to Takaba... to Elder Takaba actually, but of course he wasn't there. The man was jumped by two knife-wielding foreigners. I managed to stop the attack before they were able to take the envelope from him. They must believe Akihito is in possession of it now."

"Who are 'they'?" Kirishima asks.

"One of the Hong Kong triads," Asami answers. "My guess would be, the Bai She."

Kirishima turns to Suoh. "We need to find and question that man."

"You won't get any information out of him," Asami replies.

"Suoh here, is rather talented at extracting information from unwilling people, aren't you Suoh?"

Suoh grins. "It's a natural-born talent."

"I don't doubt it," replies Asami, looking warily at Suoh. "But I think even you would find it difficult to get information from a dead man. The man died from the wounds he received during the attack; however, he told me enough before he died that I think I could locate their hideout."

"And where would that be?"

"What... and let you get all the love from Takaba when he's rescued? I don't think so."

"Suoh... why don't you give Asami a demonstration of your particular talent?"

Suoh takes a step toward Asami. Asami takes a small step back.

"This is not a game," Kirishima tells him, seriously.

"Precisely why there should be only one person sneaking in to rescue him, instead of a large group of men storming their hideout. Let me go in and take care of this quietly, and you can avoid a potential gang war."

"And why do you think we would trust you?"

Asami smiles. "I have, what you might call, a small side job... "

. . . . .

Kirishima hangs up the phone. "Well, it's verified. He's telling the truth." Kirishima shakes his head, "This is totally unexpected."

"Do we have a truce, then?" Asami asks.

"You realize what you've told me makes me even more suspicious of your motives, but still... ", Kirishima thinks carefully. "No... I don't think so. You're a little too clever for your own good. You've been nothing but trouble for us. For instance, that little ploy of yours with your wallet... "

Asami raises his eyebrows, "I've been trouble? You hit me with your limo."

"Couldn't be helped," Kirishima smirks. "You ran out in front of it. And I haven't forgotten about you kicking my knee. It STILL hurts."

"That was after the two of you jumped me. You kicked me in the stomach," Asami nods his head toward Suoh, "and this one over here knocked me out."

Kirishima looks at Asami, undecided.

Asami goes over to a bookcase and pulls out a book. He opens it and removes a disk hidden within the pages. "Here," Asami hands the disk to Kirishima. "Make sure this gets to Elder Takaba safely... though it might be for the best if you didn't mention my name."

"I agree; that wouldn't be wise." Kirishima takes the disk and sighs, "All right, truce... but just for today. We'll provide you with whatever you need, though I don't understand why someone like you would need us to do that."

"And I don't understand how two, highly-trained bodyguards could easily lose sight of their boss," Asami retorts.

"It's easy when the boss makes it a game to lose his bodyguards. You think it's easy to keep track of Takaba? Maybe we should put you in charge of watching him. I can't think of anyone he'd be safer with."

Asami chuckles, "Yes, let the cat watch the mouse. What a fantastic idea."

Kirishima chuckles along with Asami. "It is when the cat is UNUSUALLY fond of the mouse, don't you think?"

Asami's chuckling ends abruptly with an awkward cough.

As they walk out the door to leave, Kirishima stumbles and grabs his knee in pain. "Why didn't you kick Suoh's knee?" he grumbles.

Asami raises an eyebrow at Kirishima, "Are you serious?" They both look at the very large man.

Kirishima nods, "I get your point."

. . . . .

Asami moves stealthily down the dimly lit corridor. He turns a corner...

The cell is empty.

There is a guard lying knocked out in the open cell. Puzzled, Asami passes by the cell and turns the corner to go down another hallway. He surprises Takaba, who is searching through a trash bin, naked. "Oh! It's you, Asami."

"How did you... ?"

"I asked the guard if he was interested in getting oral sex. I knew that horny goon would be all over THAT, so of course he came right into my cell. I also knew if he tried to lower his pants, it would put him off-balance. So when he dropped his trousers I pushed him over, knocked him out, and then took his keys... " Takaba holds up a set of keys and jingles them, "and then unlocked my manacles and... here I am! I can't seem to find my clothes though."

Asami frowns. "Don't ever do that again." Asami takes off his suit coat and drapes it over Takaba, then grabs Takaba's chin so he is looking at him directly in the eyes, "EVER." Takaba glares back at him.

Asami lets him go and turns to look around. "We need to get out of here quickly."

Takaba grabs Asami's arm and pulls him in one direction. "I know a way out... follow me!" They walk for bit and then Takaba stops Asami and whispers, "There's a couple of guards around this corner. This is what we'll do. I'll run out there, bend over and wiggle my butt at them. While they're distracted, YOU come up behind them and... " Asami growls and grabs Takaba. He picks him up and throws him over his shoulder.

"HEY!" Takaba whispers furiously. "What are you doing?!"

Asami carries him around the corner where they see two guards lying on the ground. Takaba gasps, "You killed them!"

"No, no... they're just napping."

Takaba looks at a puddle of blood beneath one of them. "Look, I know a dead guy when I see one, and that's DEFINITELY a dead guy!"

"He's not dead. He's taking a nap." Asami kicks the body with his foot, "See? He just moved."

"That was YOU, kicking him!"

"Shh," he smacks Takaba's behind lightly, "you're being too noisy."

Asami finds the door that leads out and exits through it. Once outside, Takaba raises his voice. "I ORDER YOU to put me down, NOW!" he demands. Asami puts him down and Takaba begins to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going, naked-boy?" Asami smirks.

"Home!" Takaba turns around to yell at him. "On my own! I had everything under control until YOU butted in, you... you killer! I don't need YOUR help... I don't need my FATHER'S help... I don't need ANYBODY'S help!"

Suddenly, Takaba hears the unmistakable high-pitched whine of bullets zooming past him. Bullet holes appear in the empty sleeves of Asami's coat that Takaba has draped over him. He looks up and sees Fei Long standing on a balcony, holding a gun sideways and pointing it directly at him.

Takaba jumps behind Asami and clutches onto him, using him as a shield. "Help," he whimpers in a small voice.

Asami quickly whips out a gun and aims it at Fei Long. "FEI LONG!" he yells, angrily.

Fei Long looks completely shocked. "A-ASAMI?!"

Fei Long holds his gun up to show he's not going to shoot anymore and slowly smiles, "I always knew I'd run into you again someday, Asami. You left rather suddenly last time... without even a simple 'goodbye'. How unromantic of you. And now you're with this one, are you? We'll see about that!" A look of anger flashes on Fei Long's face before he turns and walks back into the building.

Takaba looks up at the empty balcony and shouts, "Hey, Fei Long... you know why you missed?! IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE HOLDING YOUR GUN 'GANGSTER STYLE', IDIOT!"

"He meant to miss." Asami lowers the gun and looks down at Takaba's hands, clutching him tightly around his waist. "Of course... NOW you like me."

Takaba blushes and lets go of Asami. "You know Fei Long?!"

Asami angrily glances back at the balcony, "Unfortunately."

"So you and Fei Long... were you two once, you know, like... together?"

Asami turns and glares at Takaba, "What kind of question is THAT?"

"Oooh! Is this a touchy subject for you?" Takaba grins, gleefully.

"The last thing I want to do right now is talk about Fei Long. Surely you can find a more interesting question to ask."

"Not anymore!" Takaba's eyes glitter excitedly. "How...when... ?"

Asami sighs deeply, "I met him 7 years ago."

"And... ?" Takaba asks, expectantly.

"And... let's just say it didn't end well."

"... AND?!"

Asami replies, irritated, "AND... I refuse to talk about it anymore."

Takaba pouts briefly before spying the gun in Asami's hand. "Where did you get the gun?"

Asami looks at the gun in his hand, "This? I borrowed it. It's one of yours."

"You know you can be arrested just for holding one of those."

"I do have a firearms license; however," Asami flips the safety into place on the gun, "it's probably not wise to be caught with this out in public." He slips the gun into his pocket.

Takaba looks flabbergasted. "You have a license?! No way! How did you get a license?"

"You want to know more about me?" Asami leers at Takaba, "Invite me back to your place and you might learn a few things."

"Ha ha ha... I don't think so!" Takaba scowls at him.

Asami gazes at Takaba appreciatively, "You know you look quite fetching, standing there bare-bottomed in my coat." Asami hoists Takaba up and throws him back over his shoulder again. "Right! My place it is, then!" He carries Takaba enthusiastically toward a black vehicle.

"By the way, I also borrowed your car..."

. . . . .

_Next: Chapter 5- Takaba, Asami, and Fei Long have a three-way... uh, dispute._

* * *

_Please leave a review and let me know if you're interested where this version of the Viewfinder Universe might go. Thanks!_


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